An analyzer for suctioning a liquid sample stored in a sealed container such as a vacuum blood collection tube and analyzing the suctioned liquid sample is widely known. A conventional analyzer of this type comprises a suction tube whose leading end is sharpened in order to suction the liquid sample from the sealed container, wherein the suction tube is adapted to pierce through a lid of the sealed container. The suction tube adapted in the foregoing manner, however, has the problem that scraped pieces generated when the suction tube pierces through the lid invade the suction tube, thereby unfavorably clogging the suction tube.
In order to solve the foregoing problem, a sampling device adapted to thrust a hole making tube into a lid and insert a suction tube through the hole making tube to thereby insert a leading end of the suction tube into a sealed container was disclosed (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,951,512 and 5,132,088). As another example, a device provided with a hole making tool having a sharp leading end and a suction tube was disclosed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,137). The device is adapted to form a hole in a lid using the hole making tool, and thereafter move the suction tube to be positioned with respect to the hole so that the suction tube is inserted through the hole. These devices can prevent the suction tube from being clogged with the scraped pieces.
However, the devices having the structures disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,951,512 and 5,132,088 have the disadvantages that the hole making tube was clogged with the scraped pieces when it was thrust into the lid, and the scraped pieces entered the liquid sample in the sealed container, thereby clogging the suction tube and contaminating the liquid sample. As another disadvantage, the hole making tube, through which the suction tube was to be inserted, was inevitably increased in size, and the hole formed in the lid by the thrust of the hole making tube was thereby increased in size. When the hole is too large, the hole may not be closed after the hole making tube is removed from the lid, and a large force was conventionally required to push the hole making tube into the lid.
A disadvantage included in the constitution disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,137 which required the positioning of the suction tube with respect to the hole in the lid after the hole making tool was thrust into the lid of the sealed container and then removed from the lid. It was necessary to firmly retain the sealed container so that there was no positional deviation of the sealed container when the hole making tool was removed. In order to realize such a firm retention, a structure for retaining the sealed container unfavorably became complicated, and a user had to make a lot of operations when he/she set the sealed container in the device.